


Death Is Not A Friend

by Charlie_Bucket



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, Canon Compliant, HIV/AIDS, Hospitalized Whizzer Brown, Hurt/Comfort, I cried writing this, M/M, Tragedy, Whizzer Brown Deserves Better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 21:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15373449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie_Bucket/pseuds/Charlie_Bucket
Summary: Marvin knew, well before Whizzer’s rapidly declining health, that he too was sick. Or well. He hadn’t known, exactly. But he’d been told, in a way.





	Death Is Not A Friend

Marvin knew, well before Whizzer’s rapidly declining health, that he too was sick. Or well. He hadn’t known, exactly. But he’d been told, in a way.

The doctor, not Charlotte, because Marvin didn’t want to worry his best friend with something like this, had told Marvin the mark he had found on his arm was “ _a rare form of skin cancer, completely benign, absolutely nothing to worry about_ ”. And Marvin, completely assured that the copious amounts of money he spent on the doctor meant his word was law, gladly accepted his explanation and went about his day.

It’s three days later, at his and Whizzer’s daily game of racquetball that Whizzer collapses, and Marvin realises that maybe things won’t be alright.

He had known something was wrong with Whizzer. He’d spent whole days lying naked in bed with Whiz, mapping his body, the small smattering of freckles on his hips, the light dusting of hair on his stomach, the way his body expanded underneath Marvin’s head as he breathed, full, whole, healthy and _alive_.

The Whizzer that lies in the hospital bed, though still possessing all the snark and sass of his lover, is emaciated. The Whizzer from a few months ago, who would roll on his feet, always moving, never still, always touching, pulling, caressing and every now and then lifting Marvin into the air because " _You're so short, Marv!"_ that Whizzer is gone. But Marvin  _loves_ Whizzer, whichever one he is presented with. 

Charlotte pulls him aside one night, during a rare instance where he’s not glued to Whizzer’s side. He’s taken up smoking again, the stress making him pick up a habit he hadn’t indulged in for years. But there he is, standing at the entrance to the ominous building, the hospital casting a shadow over him, simultaneously getting some fresh air and polluting it with his smoke.

Charlotte stands next to him, lets him finish smoking before gently grabbing his hand.

“Something bad is happening, Marv,” she starts, voice quiet and defeated. Nothing like the brash outspoken doctor who came to his son’s baseball games and called out the umpire.“Something... Very bad is happening. Something that kills.” Marvin wants to cut in. Shout at her for stating the obvious, blame her for not trying harder, scream at her for not even _knowing_ what’s killing the man he loves so fucking quickly when he only just got him back, _dammit, he only just got him back_.

“It’s infectious.” Charlotte whispers, and it doesn’t register with Marvin, too stuck in his head. “It spreads from one man... To another.”

That catches his attention. His eyes go wide, grip tightening on his arms.

“Right.” The word is punched out of his gut, he doesn’t even register saying it. He about turns and walks himself back to Whizzer’s room, the world spinning around him.

But it all zeroes in when he sees Whizzer. Beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, Whizzer. Who exploded into his life and shook everything apart with his arrival and dared Marvin to embrace it with everything he had, to jump without looking and deal with the consequences later. And God, Marvin’s life had been boring as shit without him.

Whizzer didn’t ask where he had been, didn’t moan about the smell of tobacco, just opened his arms – thin, diminished, no longer built up from years of racquetball – and beckoned Marvin into the centre of them.

Head resting on Whizzer’s chest, mirroring how he was only a few weeks ago when he came to the realisation that Whizzer was _it_ for him, he closed his eyes and pretended he could feel deep, healthy breaths filling his lovers chest. That’s how he fell asleep, better times weighing his heart, the recent news far away from his head as he basked in the _nowness_ of Whizzer. So aware that it was being cut short.

Marvin knows that he too is sick like Whizzer is before anyone. Before even Charlotte. He’s helping Whizzer change into one of the fanciest house coats he and Whizzer own, ornate and patterned and “right up Whizzer’s street” declared a proud Jason who had thought to bring it along.

Whizzer leans himself against Marvin as the hospital robe is slowly removed with the help of Mendel, careful not to agitate the sores on Whizzer’s arms, the sounds of Jason hopping about behind the second hospital screen trying to get his suit trousers on bringing a weak smile to the three men’s faces.

The smile falls from Marvin’s face when he notices it. _It._

He knows what _it_ is. He’s stared at the same thing on his arm, glared at this imperfection with the sort of agitated half-mind you give minor annoyances, like Trina dealing with the dog.

It’s the skin cancer. The benign skin cancer. “ _Rare_ ” the doctor had said.  
He asks Whizzer, nonchalant like as he carefully eases the house coat around Whizzer’s shoulders. Whizzer looks down at it and snorts in disgust.

“Charlotte says a lot of the HIV patients come in with it, a skin cancer or something-“ he cuts himself off with a weak wave of his hand pointedly in the direction of Jason, not noticing Marvin’s pale, helpless face. Marvin’s hands shake as he ties the tie for Whiz, taking a minute with his head bowed to catch his breath.

That feeling is back. Like the whole world is shifting around his feet, like Trina had whispered to herself before she entered the hospital room for the first time – “Holding to the ground as the ground keeps shifting” except Marvin feels more like the ground has dropped from under his feet. 

Jason appears from behind the screen, and Marvin decides that he has never been prouder of his son.

Everything happens so quickly after that. The last thing Marvin hears Whizzer utter is a gasped “ _Lover_ ” with a strained cheeky smile that echoes so many before it, before he passes. Just that one word, and Marvin’s whole world has ended.

It rushes past him. Trina asks him where Whizzer should be buried, what kind of flowers should be supplied, where they should hold the dinner, who should do speeches, has anyone contacted Whizzer's parents? All the morbid little details that he wants to laugh at. He wants to ask Trina, who she will ask for the details when it comes to his own funeral. But he doesn’t. Instead Whizzer is buried in the family plot, bouquets of roses litter the sight, and Marvin lets himself fall apart. Lets himself be supported, held upright by his tight-knit family. A family sans Whizzer. A family sans _him_.

Two weeks later, Marvin collapses on the way to Whizzer’s grave to deliver more flowers. The moment of dizziness gradually recedes, red roses scattered around him, the dull throb of his knees and hands and the sound of someone calling “Sir, sir, can I help you?” fades into the background. He laughs, blinded by his tears.

Charlotte is called, and his tight-knit family come together once again.

They bury Marvin next to Whizzer.

It’s years and years later that Jason, with his own tight knit family, is able to get their tombstones altered to include one single word – “Lovers”.

**Author's Note:**

> Doctors didn't know a damn thing about HIV/AIDS when it first emerged. When patients started turning up with small, painless lumps, doctors told them it was a rare form of skin cancer. They didn't know until later on that it was a sign that you were sick.  
> I just had to write something based on this fact. I had to listen to the soundtrack from "Something Bad is Happening (Reprise)" on loop to stay in the mood to write this.


End file.
